Important Update from Tuktuk Lancaster

Yesterday the Public Utility Commission, by a vote of 3-2, denied our application to operate as a common carrier in Pennsylvania. We are grateful that finally, after months of delays, a decision has been made. However, we are disappointed that their research included faulty information and their response included questions that could have been easily answered if they had asked us. Their decision means that we are unable to operate according to our business model of selling tickets for our sightseeing and food tours.

What does this mean?

Through July 22, we will continue to provide sightseeing tours by donation to Church World Service Immigrant and Refugee Programs. You can schedule your tour at www.TuktukLancaster.com/tickets. We will be closed starting on July 23. The future after that date is unclear.

We are researching various options:

Develop a new business model to offer tours without selling tickets. As is, our “by donation to a non-profit” is not sustainable for the long term.

Sell the tuktuk and close the business. Contact us with any serious offers.

Hire legal counsel to petition the PUC to reconsider their decision. A lawyer who formerly worked for the PUC has offered her services to us. We would need to raise approximately $4,000. Because of lost revenue so far this season, we do not have these funds available. Contact us by Monday, July 17, if you are able and willing to pledge a donation to help cover these costs.

If we go with one of the first two options, or if we petition and are unsuccessful, we will return last fall’s crowdfunding donations and refund our sponsors for the time we were not able to operate. We ask your patience as we work through this process.

In the past few days since the PUC's ruling to deny our application, we have received an amazing amount of support from the community. Everywhere we go with the tuktuk (or even a tuktuk T-shirt), people are stopping to express their dismay, concern, and best wishes. We appreciate the thumbs-up, honks, and "Keep fighting" comments that you all are sending our way. This is Lancaster's tuktuk and we'll do all we can keep it here.​Clarification: you may have heard that the PUC is "shutting us down" or has "ordered us to close" by July 22. While that makes for exciting headlines, it is not what we have said, nor is it true. The PUC has rejected our application to receive any direct or indirect compensation from riders, period. Tuktuk can still operate as a business without a PUC license indefinitely if we can figure out a business model that does not require ticket sales. We chose the July 22 date to allow us time to regroup and figure out next steps. In the end, we may need to close if we cannot find a sustainable new plan. We appreciate the coverage, even when we need to clarify some remarks!

July 20, 2017

Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to raise funds to hire a lawyer to prepare the documents to submit to the PUC for their reconsideration. As announced before, we are taking a break to regroup and figure out our plan while we wait for the PUC to make the next move. Stay tuned!